Why coastal Kenya is so important

Coastal Kenya is home to an amazing array of wildlife – it’s one of the most biodiverse parts of Africa. Over 550 plant and 50 animal species found in Kenya’s coastal forests occur nowhere else on earth. And the waters off the coast are home to five of the seven known species of marine turtle as well as dugongs, whales and dolphins.

The region’s natural resources are globally important and local communities rely heavily on the oceans, forests and freshwater for food, fuel, materials and income for the rapidly growing population of over 3 million people.

As well as the economic and environmental value of these resources (the precious ‬woodlands and mangrove forests help reduce soil loss and coastal erosion, for ‬‬‬example), many local people have strong cultural and spiritual links to the forests of coastal Kenya.

Cath Lawson
Regional Manager East Africa

"Coastal Kenya is an incredibly unique place that's bursting with biodiversity. The region is currently being transformed by a range of developments that provide much needed opportunities but also potentially cause negative impacts on nature and poor people, which are often exacerbated by poor planning and unsustainable practices. Responding to these growing pressures, we're scaling-up our efforts in the region to help ensure that there's a healthy natural environment supporting people and growth in coastal Kenya."

Coastal Kenya

On Africa’s east coast, between Somalia and Tanzania, looking out to the Indian Ocean. Our work particularly focuses on two priority landscapes: Lamu-Ijara-Tana and Kwale-Kilifi.

About coastal Kenya

Just south of the equator, on Africa’s Indian Ocean coast, the land and seas of coastal Kenya are home to some of the most spectacular environments in the world.

It’s also home to millions of people, often poor and highly dependent on natural resources for survival. As always a lot of our job is about working out how people and nature can get on best together in sometimes difficult circumstances.

As well as being a globally important area for conservation, it’s a living, working environment for local communities, who rely heavily on the oceans, forests, rivers and wetlands for food and income. Which puts a lot of the region’s natural richness in danger of overuse or even destruction.

We're working with communities, businesses and governments in Kenya (and neighbouring Tanzania and Mozambique) to push towards a green economy. To make sure the region’s ‘natural capital’ – its environmental wealth – is managed sustainably, and can help lift people out of poverty.

Wildlife living in coastal Kenya

Coastal Kenya is home to a vast variety of wonderful wildlife, from land-based animals like elephants, lions and antelopes to ocean-dwellers like marine turtles, tuna and dugongs – and over 500 plants not found anywhere else on Earth.

African wild dogs

Humpback whales

Whale sharks

Challenges affecting coastal Kenya

Community livelihoods and wellbeing

We aim to balance environmental protection with social and economic development. In coastal Kenya we support a range of sustainable livelihood initiatives – from bee-keeping to ecotourism – which help people to diverse their income opportunities and reduce pressure on natural resources. We’re also working to improve access to sustainable, clean and efficient energy by helping to provide access to solar lighting and fuel efficient stoves and encouraging on-farm tree planting. We also help local people become more involved in managing their forests

Challenges affecting coastal Kenya

Spatial planning

Investment in infrastructure, transport, mining and extractives industries, and large-scale agricultural investments; a growing population; and the unsustainable use of natural resources all place stress on Kenya’s unique coastal environment. We want to see better planning so that the environment is used in a more efficient, equitable and ultimately sustainable way, now and in the future.

Challenges affecting coastal Kenya

Climate change

Coastal Kenya is vulnerable to sea level rise, coral bleaching and loss of living space for wildlife. Freshwater supplies are likely to be affected by more droughts and floods. We’re helping make sure limited water supplies are used sustainably, for example by improving sugar cane irrigation.

Challenges affecting coastal Kenya

Human-wildlife conflict

A particular threat is from buffalo and elephants, which can destroy people’s crops – especially as people and wildlife live in closer proximity. Successful interventions include beekeeping (elephants don't like bees), installing moats around farmland to stop access and undertaking careful land-use planning.

Challenges affecting coastal Kenya

Unsustainable fishing

More people living near the coast means more demand for seafood. We're helping influence fishing methods and regulations, and training fisher folk in better monitoring and management. And we’re encouraging certification of sustainable lobster and tuna fishing.

Challenges affecting coastal Kenya

Illegal wildlife trade

We're helping to reduce poaching of elephants, antelopes and marine turtles by running educational campaigns, supporting community wildlife patrols, and working with the government to strengthen protection laws and their implementation, and tackle illegal trade.

Challenges affecting coastal Kenya

Oil, gas & mineral extraction

Development projects in coastal Kenya include mining for minerals, oil and gas exploration, a large coal power station and a huge proposed mega-port. We’re working with everyone involved to make sure environmental and social standards are upheld and negative impacts on people, wildlife and habitats minimised.

Environments in coastal Kenya

Helping wildlife and communities in coastal Kenya

Over our years of working in coastal Kenya we’ve helped strengthen protected areas and improve the livelihoods of local communities.
For instance, through sustained effort by us and our partners, 43 of Kenya’s sacred coastal forests are now formally recognised as ‘National Monuments’, and nine are listed as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
Marine turtle conservation has been improved, as shown by the number of active turtle conservation groups and protected nests along the coastline. In the first half of 2016, we conducted nearly 150 beach patrols across 15 turtle nesting beaches – covering over 450km! The local community turtle conservation groups joined us for nearly 70% of these patrols, helping monitor over 70 nests and we tagged 13 turtles to help us better understand their movements.
And a sustainable development education programme has been integrated into local schools.